Gifted, Creative, & Talented Teachers

How to Become a Gifted, Creative, & Talented Teacher

Providing instruction that engages gifted learners is a struggle that many educators have within schools that are much more focused on bolstering the abilities of at-risk learners. If you’re wondering how to become a gifted teacher in order to serve the needs of these often overlooked students, you can work toward this career shift in a variety of ways. Seeking an advanced education in Curriculum & Instruction for Gifted, Creative, & Talented students is an option at the University of Cincinnati through their online Master of Education program.

Gifted Teacher Certification
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) sets the bar for quality instruction in a variety of specifications, but they do not have a certificate devoted to the gifted teacher. Instead, gifted teachers must be more insightful when choosing which certificate will best benefit their careers in gifted education. Although the Exceptional Needs Specialist category could be a good fit for some educators who teach both gifted and other types of special needs learners, the NBPTS recommends that educators who want to exclusively work with gifted learners could benefit more from the generalist certificate. This broader approach to certification allows you to display your competencies in teaching gifted classes so you can customize your certification to be better assessed for your experiences. Once you’ve evaluated which certificate is a best fit for your gifted teacher career, your next step is in understanding eligibility requirements and how you will be assessed.

All educators must have completed three years of licensed instruction in a classroom to be eligible for National Board certification. They must hold at least a bachelor’s degree, but in many cases, educators who have a master’s degree in their area of interest are better prepared to pass the assessment exams and compile more impressive portfolios. As part of your certification, you will be required to submit four portfolio entries to evidence your high level of instruction. Three of these must take place within a classroom setting, and the last must be completed outside of school in order to illustrate your well-rounded approach to education for your gifted students. You can build toward your portfolio submissions during the course of your online Master of Education at the University of Cincinnati to accomplish your master’s degree and National Board preparation simultaneously. Finally, educators must pass six assessment exercises, which are 30-minute tests you complete at approved testing centers around the country. After you complete the exercises and submit your full portfolio, a team of 12 or more National Board certified educators evaluate your performance and decide upon your certification qualifications.

Benefits of Gifted Curriculum Degree Programs
Gifted, creative, & talented students suffer in that their talents are often de-prioritized as educators focus more on students who are struggling in class. The gifted teacher who recognizes how this oversight can damage a student’s capacity for learning, usually winds up being overlooked as well in his or her own education advancement opportunities, settling for non-specific degrees that ignore their greater interest in gifted education. Because online degrees have grown in both popularity and quality, there are more options for the gifted teacher to find a customized master’s degree that focuses on providing the best possible gifted instruction.

The online Master of Education program from the University of Cincinnati benefits gifted, creative, & talented teachers with a unique concentration in Curriculum & Instruction for Gifted, Creative, & Talented students. During the course of this program, educators explore the latest developments in gifted instruction strategy, gifted education reform and technologies available to challenge and stimulate gifted learners. Delivered in a flexible online format, educators can continue their current careers while pursuing the degree, which means that you can actively incorporate new strategies and tools into your classroom. This allows you to innovate while under the guidance of experienced faculty who can help to problem solve any issues that arise and provide support. You can also rely on networking with classmates from around the country who can provide insight into how gifted education reform occurs in their areas so that you get a global perspective on what works and what doesn’t.

Meeting the academic needs of gifted children while also providing the emotional support they need in their early development is a delicate balance that every gifted teacher must remedy for his or her own students.